The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 05, 2000
Filed:
Sep. 14, 1998
Scott R Manalis, Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Stephen C Minne, Danville, IL (US);
Calvin F Quate, Stanford, CA (US);
The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A method for making a silicon stylus protruding through a nitride layer is used to fabricate nitride micro-apertures, silicon styluses supported by nitride cantilever arms and charge sensitive silicon styluses supported by nitride cantilever arms. The method uses an anisotropic dry etch to define the apertures of the nitride micro-apertures and the apexes of the silicon styluses. Nitride apertures made by this method are useful for supporting micro-electronics and micro-optical devices. Surface probing devices with silicon styluses supported by nitride cantilever arms have applications in AFM and STM and are particularly useful in applications that require an electrical connection between the silicon stylus and external circuitry through the cantilever arm.